Belgian international rugby player Bruno Vliegen has sustained burns to 37 per cent of his body following a serious accident. He is currently in stable condition at the Grand Hôpital de Charleroi, where he is receiving treatment for severe burns. A fundraising campaign has been launched to assist with the cost of his medical care.
Fundraising Campaign for Vliegen
Details of the incident remain limited. His friend, Nicolas Gigot, shared information on the fundraising platform Leetchi. The fundraiser states: "The coming weeks and months will be extremely trying: surgical interventions, transplants, intensive care, daily treatments, rehabilitation, not to mention the numerous consequences for his family and professional life. For the past year, Bruno has also been the father of a little girl, Lio. More than ever, his family will need to be surrounded by support. The aim of this fundraising campaign is to provide them with concrete support in order to alleviate, as much as possible, the financial difficulties caused by this ordeal." Vliegen, 24, plays for Olympique Marcquois Rugby and has previously represented ASM Clermont Auvergne and US Carcassonne.
Wales Squad Reduction Ahead of Nations Championship
Wales head coach Steve Tandy is expected to cut approximately 11 players from his squad ahead of the Nations Championship campaign. Wales' Test schedule begins this Saturday against Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium, followed by a trip to Argentina and a match against world champions South Africa. The squad reduction is anticipated as English and French-based players become available for selection, with later arrivals set to join the team at the Vale. Players such as Dafydd Jenkins, Rhys Carré, Nicky Smith, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tommy Reffell, and Max Llewellyn are entering camp, while Rhys Barratt, Freddie Thomas, and Ryan Woodman may be omitted.
Ben Earl: Focus on Style Over Springboks Reputation
England number eight Ben Earl has emphasized the team's focus on winning with style rather than being distracted by South Africa's reputation. England aims to end a run of four Test defeats when they face Siya Kolisi's back-to-back world champions at Ellis Park on Saturday. Earl said: "We want to play a game of rugby that not only entertains, but wins. Test match rugby is almost a different sport. The currency of Test match rugby is wins. I feel like we’re well equipped to play whatever the game presents itself. We don’t know what tactics South Africa are going to bring, but we know the kind of game we would like to play. We’ve been focusing on ourselves a fair bit in terms of how we want to play and the clarity around how we want our rugby to look." He added: "South Africa are unique because they’re number one in the world, they’re the best team, they’re double World Cup winners. They’re littered with world-leading talent. From one to 23, you could argue that a fair chunk of them would be in the conversation around the world’s best. But the moment you think too much about that stuff, you get bogged down and you can’t focus on your own game, so we’ve been thinking a lot about ourselves." Head coach Steve Borthwick will name his team on Thursday, with Jamie George set to captain England as Maro Itoje is rested for the July tour.
Erasmus Warns of Pollock Threat
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has identified England's Henry Pollock as a key threat ahead of Saturday's match. Erasmus praised Pollock's abilities, stating: "For us to comment on a guy like him not knowing his contribution as a character in their team would be stupid. None of us can say we know him as a person. How can we judge him? His team mates probably love him so what does it matter what the world says? His team mates love him and he does well there. All we can do is analyse how he plays rugby and he is a massive threat. He is a flipping good rugby player. He’s a very good rugby player, not just on the defensive side or the attacking side, but also on the physical side." The South Africa team includes Siya Kolisi (captain), Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Damian de Allende, among others.
